The question lands like a check against the boards. "Then it better be me. Scout's worked too hard to establish herself here. She's got the Mobility Monday program running perfectly. The players respect her. If someone has to make a sacrifice, it won't be her."
Patricia and Marcus exchange glances. Jared drums his fingers on the table.
"That's not usually how these conversations go," Patricia admits.
"Usually the athlete expects us to make the problem disappear," Marcus adds. "Transfer the employee, create distance, minimize exposure."
"I'm not asking you to make anything disappear. I'm asking you to protect Scout while we handle this professionally."
Jared stops drumming. "You're serious about her."
It's not a question, but I answer anyway. "Dead serious. This isn't some fling or convenience thing. I plan to marry her."
As soon as Scout is ready to be a hockey wife, I'll have a big ring waiting for her.
"Silas." Scout chides me softly.
I slide her a look. "What? It's the truth."
"Well," Patricia says after a beat of silence. "That changes things somewhat."
"Look," I lean forward, needing them to understand. "Scout's finally finding her confidence, her place here. If this relationship costs her that, I'll walk away from her before I let that happen. But I'm hoping you'll help us find a way to make this work."
Marcus makes more notes. "There are precedents. Other teams have dealt with similar situations."
"The Sharks had a player marry their nutritionist," Patricia offers. "They created clear boundaries and reporting structures. It worked fine."
Jared nods slowly. "Here's what we can do. Scout maintains her current position but reports directly to the head trainer instead of through the general player services hierarchy. That removes any perception of influence from your end. We'll file formal disclosure paperwork that protects both of you. If any issues arise, they get addressed through HR, not team management."
"And her job is safe?" I press.
"As safe as anyone's job ever is in professional sports," Jared says. "Her performance determines her position, not her relationship status."
I don't miss Scout's relieved sigh.
"What about public perception?" Marcus asks. "If this becomes public knowledge?"
"When," I correct. "When it becomes public knowledge. We're not hiding."
Patricia smiles slightly. "Then we recommend a simple approach. If asked, you confirm you're together. No details, no timeline, just acknowledgment. The less dramatic you make it, the less the media will care."
"I can do that."
"There's one more thing," Jared says. "The other players. Have you considered how this might affect team dynamics?"
"Most of them already know. Nobody's made it an issue."
"Good. Keep it that way. Professional at the rink. Do whatever you want on your own time."
Marcus slides a stack of papers across the table. "These are the disclosure forms. Both you and Ms. Nash need to sign them. There's also a conduct agreement that outlines acceptable behavior in professional settings."
I scan through them quickly. Standard stuff mostly. No public displays of affection during team events. No preferential treatment in either direction. No discussing team business outside of appropriate channels. All things we're already doing.
"I'll get these back to you by tomorrow," I say.
The meeting ends with handshakes and promises to process everything quickly. Leaving the executive floor, I feel lighter than I have in weeks. Not because the conversation was easy, but because it's done. We're official.
At practice, nothing seems different on the surface. The guys run drills, coaches yell corrections, equipment managers hustle between tasks. But I catch Scout watching from the tunnel. When our eyes meet, she doesn't look away. Neither do I.
